Times honors the best in winter sports

TOP: Window Rock Scout Kyler Ashley looks for an opening through Show Low's defense on Feb. 15 at the NAU Skydome in Flagstaff, Ariz.

SECOND FROM TOP: Laguna-Acoma's Anthony Carpio gets up high in the air for a lay-up during the New Mexico Class 2A boys state championship game played on March 16 at the UNM Pit in Albuquerque.

THIRD FROM TOP: Window Rock's Jeremy Jesus racked up three straight wins before falling in the finals of the 182-pound category during the Arizona Division IV state wrestling tournament early last month.

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T
welve days ago the curtain for the winter portion of high school sports officially came to a close when the New Mexico Activities Association concluded its final basketball game.

And if you're counting, it took five long months to finally reach this stage but for many that long procession started long before the start of the winter sports season.

In the preceding months, a lot of the basketball teams committed their time, effort and skills to off-season workouts. And on the wrestling mat some student-athletes stayed active by participating in other sports such as football and cross-country running.

To help celebrate their achievements, the Navajo Times will honor the 30 best area wrestlers and the 45 best boys and girls basketball players at an awards ceremony scheduled for April 4 at the Phil Thomas Performing Arts Center in Shiprock, N.M.

This year, the Times' sports department made several changes in the selection process by first naming the Top 12 All-Stars of each sport, followed by an honorable mention list.

The Times staff will announce the players and coaches of the year during the ceremony. Doors will be open at 10 a.m.

All listed athletes are encouraged to bring their school uniform tops for a photo session, which will begin promptly at 11 a.m. The awards presentation will begin at noon.

This event is free and open to the public. Photos and an article of the winners will be published in the April 12 edition of the Times.

Information: 928-871-1130.

Wrestling

The Piedra Vista wrestling team once again dominated the New Mexico Class 4A field and won its third straight state crown. The Panthers had 11 wrestlers that made the podium with five of them finishing in first place.

With that the Panthers lead our all-star list. The top 12 wrestlers include:

Adam Lucero, Aztec (170)

Orrin Kennedy, Bloomfield (220)

Troy Rightmire, Bloomfield (132)

Kemp Todacheene, Page (132)

Aaron Herder, Parker (113)

Ryan Shatto, Parker (138)

Jacob Palmgren, Piedra Vista (120)

Anthony Juckus, Piedra Vista (132)

Ryan Rino, Piedra Vista (152)

Wyatt Hardy, Piedra Vista (160)

Christian Acosta, Piedra Vista (220)

Jeremy Jesus, Window Rock (182)

Honorable mention

Joshua Smith, Chinle (285)

Jerome Crowther, Coconino (170)

Essiel Carrasco, Farmington (170)

Layne Curley, Ganado (145)

Shem Bowman, Holbrook (195)

Adams Laban, Hopi (113),

Sam Chee, Kirtland Central (145)

Landon Yazzie, Newcomb (220)

Lamar Begay, Many Farms (106)

Toshio Herrera, Miyamura (106)

Brandon Gray, Miyamura (220)

Lakota Laugher, Monument Valley (182)

Julius Descheenie, Page (152)

Deandrew Teller, Pinon (120)

Alex Benally, Shiprock (160)

Frankie Begaye, Tuba City (138)

Quenton James, Wingate (126)

Jace Hardy, Winslow (160)

Boys basketball

The Laguna-Acoma Hawks were the only boys team in the area to hoist a state championship title. The Navajo Times' top 12 boys basketball players are:

Searle Tracy, Chinle

Darren Spencer, Gallup

Dominic Martinez, Gallup

Anthony Carpio, Laguna-Acoma

Austin Jones, Laguna-Acoma

Tyrell Morgan, Ramah

Sean Jordan, Ramah

Patdric Toehe, Shiprock

Seth Watuema, To'hajiilee

Shawn Murphy, Tohatchi

Corey Quigley, Valley

Kyler Ashley, Window Rock

Honorable mention

Matt Crockett, Bloomfield

Wyatt Tuni, Chinle

Kevin Yazzie, Chinle

Justin Largo, Crownpoint

Quentin Benally, Crownpoint

Matt Huffhines, Farmington

Lionel Kinsel, Gallup

Jarvison Clay, Ganado

Kyle Chee, Holbrook

Rex Yellow, Hopi

Augutus Cuch, Laguna-Acoma

Clayton Yazzie, Monument Valley

Collin Tompson, Navajo Pine

Jacob Armijo, Piedra Vista

Tyrell Henio, Pine Hill

Cody Manybeads, Pinon

Mathias Milford, Rehoboth

Ernesto Gonzales, Red Mesa

Owen King, Red Mesa

Jarrett John, Rock Point

Hiram Gleason, Shiprock

Zachary Kitseally, Shiprock NW

Shanton Yazzie, Thoreau

Christian Apachito, To'hajiilee

Marcus Burbank, Tohatchi

Kevin Wylie, Tohatchi

Alonzo Thompson, Tuba City

Tristin Begay, Tuba City

Dominique Dale, Window Rock

Darren Ashley, Window Rock

Ian Bahe, Window Rock

Rashaan Beyal, Wingate

Kyle Jones, Wingate

Girls basketball

After coming up short in their state title runs last season, the Winslow Lady Bulldogs and the Navajo Pine Lady Warriors validated their season by winning their respective crowns.

The Lady Bulldogs earned the tournament's top seed in the Division III bracket in Arizona and beat Valley High in Sanders, Ariz., 45-40, late last month for the title.

Navajo Pine, meanwhile, outlasted Laguna-Acoma by a 64-57 count for the New Mexico Class 2A state crown.